Waking up next to Isaac felt much more natural than it should have. It felt somehow incredibly normal to wake up and shift slightly, moving closer to him under the covers. Looking at him in the early morning light, Lavinia could tell that he truly was asleep. She smiled slightly. So, there were some human needs left after all. Eating, sleeping, what else would he need?Unbidden, the thought arose to Lavinia of herself as one of those needs. Of her being as necessary to Isaac as his instinct to feed. She quickly pushed the thought away, reminding herself that while Isaac seemed earnest, this could just be a whim. Her trust was not yet guaranteed. Though, the previous night had certainly garnered more of a bond.It was hard to take his actions and care as a ploy, but Lavinia could not help but remain cautious. Surely, had Isaac only been playing with her he would have served only his own pleasure. He would not have given so much attention to Lavinia, waiting for her to respo

Arabella and Lavinia spent the morning sitting and talking. Lavinia found Arabella to be surprisingly enjoyable company. While she was certainly a departure from Isaac's serious tone, her levity was infectious. Lavinia felt herself smiling easily and giggling at Arabella's jokes.It was fascinating to her to hear about Isaac from a different perspective, through closer eyes. Arabella tended to close off a bit the more Lavinia tried to broach the topic of Mrs. Astor, but she readily spoke about Isaac's nature in private and what he was like before he was turned. It confirmed many of Lavinia's suspicions. Isaac from Arabella's eyes was much softer. He seemed to dote on his sister, serving as her protector and her playmate. He had used to be quite popular, frequently having friends over from the private school he attended. That all ended when Mrs. Astor turned him and started bringing him along to meetings for the business. He had become much more vicious and distant, a shel

That evening Lavinia was escorted to a new room. It was on the floor below Isaac and Lavinia's rooms and not nearly as grand, but in comparison to the shared room far below it was pure luxury.The linens on the full bed were clean and starched, the pillows full and thick. Lavinia threw herself down onto the bed, stretching her arms above her head. She lay there for a moment just resting, then started to take down her hair. She had let Arabella braid her hair intricately and her deft fingers had left more plaits than Lavinia could count. After removing most of the pins, Lavinia gave it up as a bad job and decided to let the rest fall out naturally. She had been told by Arabella to rise early. Her day dress should be arriving and she was expected to wake Isaac. This task yesterday morning would have seemed simple, but now a rising sense of panic swirled in her gut. She could see now the danger she was in. The previous night with Isaac she had thrown caution to the wind. She d

The weeks leading up to the ball passed with shocking speed. The manor transforms before Lavinia's eyes. It loses its gloomy facade and starts to come alive. The floors become finely polished and the windows are washed and open. Even the weather seemed to clear. The grey of the skies broke into a welcome flush.For a time, Lavinia became Isaac's shadow. She acted as his personal assistant and constant aid. She woke and dressed him, ran errands through the day, and tried to blend into the household personnel. Isaac himself took on the role of director. He wielded the manor's staff as a precise tool, insisting that perfection was a baseline rather than a lofty goal.The first family to arrive did so just a day before the Betrothal Ball. Lavinia was not quite sure what to make of them. They offered no family name and Isaac simply referred to them as shades. They were definitely people, or at least they had been. They sported limbs and heads and bodies, but otherwise no disce

When the song ended the dancers applauded the band and couples rearranged as a slower rhythm started. Isaac spun Mrs. Astor out before bowing and releasing her hand. They parted and Mrs. Astor walked deeper into the crowd. Isaac made his way over to Arabella and Lavinia."Izzy, you look terrible," Arabella said bluntly.Though the gaunt circles under Isaac's eyes were prominent and there was a faint haze over his eyes, Lavinia could not bring herself to agree with Arabella. There was something terrifying but alluring about Isaac's hungry face. There was a desire in his frigid eyes, a need. He looked at Lavinia as if he were seeing more than just her newly styled frame. "Mother felt that going into the evening without feeding would only be polite. In case I meet anyone interesting." He rolled his eyes."This is much more than a night without feeding. This is days.""I will just remain on my best behavior then." He gave Lavinia a once over, then paused, looking at her anew.